Circular  No.  102. 

United  States  Department  of 


urc, 


AU   OF    ENTOM 
WAfcl).    KiitomologUt 


in:  v^r  vi;  vi. i  h 

i .  ii.  <  in i  n 

INTRODUCTORY 


ettlers 


\ -|>:l!  :lLrll>   WBS    i  III  l<  M  I  Hit.  1    lllto   tlll>   <  «  H  1 1 1 1  I"  \     \\  1 1 

from  Euroj)e,  and  is  credited 
with  having  been  cultivated 
here  for  two  hundred  years 
before  being  troubled  with 
insects. 

Several  species  of  native 
American  insects  have  been 
observed  to  feed  upon  this 
plant,  but  none,  so  far  as  we 
know,  has  become  sufficiently 
attached  to  it  to  cause  se- 
rious injur}'.  I-Vw  of  our 
edible  plant-,  in  short,  down 
t.i  the  time  of  the  civil  war 
have  enjoyed  such  immunity 
from  the  ravages  of  insects. 

In  the  ( )lil  World  two  in- 
sects, called  asparagus  bee- 
tles, have  been  known  as 
enemies  of  the  asparagus 
since  early  times.  In  the 
\  ear  1862  one  of  these  insects, 
the  common  asparagus  beetle 
L.)  was 
the  occasion  of  considerable 
alarm  on  asparagus  farms  in 
Queens  County.  N.  Y..  where 
it  threatened  to  destroy  this, 
one  of  the  most  valuable  crops  grown  on  Long  Island.     Subsequent 


Fio.    1      Spraj    ol   asparagus,   with   comm. 

I>nr:. .  mpara 

Up    at    right,  m.I    Injury. 

ID). 


ier  account*  of  these  Insects  have  been   published  i»  earlier  yeai 
follows:    Yearbook  fj.  8,  Dept.  Agric.  f.  1896  (1897),  pp.  841  382;  Bui.  10,  Dir. 
Knt..  IT.  s.  Dept.  Agrlc,  pp.  54  69,  1898;  Bui.  88,  Pt  I.  Bur.  Bat-,  U.  8. 

Airri...   pp.   .".  1".    ; 

(42     Car.  102    OS 


inquiry  developed  the  fact  thai  the  species  had  begun  its  destructive 
work  at  Astoria,  near  New  York  City,  in  I860,  where,  it  is  now 
conceded,   it    was  introduced   about    1856." 

In  1881  another  European  importation  was  detected  on  asparagus 
near  Baltimore,  Md. — the  twelve-spotted  asparagus  beetle  (CriocerU 
duodecimpunctata  L.),  sometimes  called  the  "red'*  asparagus  beetle 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  "blue"  species. 


THE    COMMON    ASPARAGUS   BEETLE. 

(Crioceris  asparagi  I.,  i 

From  the  seat  of  it-  introduction  at  Astoria.  X.  Y..  the  common 
asparagus  beetle  soon  spread  to  the  asparagus  farms  of  Queens 
County.  X.  V..  and  by  1S<'»2  was  reported  to  have  occasioned  the  lo- 
ot' over  a  third  of  the  crops  in  certain  localities, 
the  loss  being  estimated  at  $50,000. 

Injury  is  due  to  the  Avork  of  both  adults  and 
g-gf^       larva'  upon  the  tender  shoots,  which  they  render 
P^VQP  ''  A  P|      unfit  for  market  early  in  the  season.     Later  they 
I^Rn    .  J  destroy    by    defoliation    the    high-grown    plants. 

^m  |(  particularly  seedlings,  the  roots  of  which  are 
W  U  M  J  weakened  by  having  their  tops  devoured.  The 
larva?  are  sometimes  so  abundant  that  the  black 
molasses-like  fluid  which  they  emit  from  their 
mouth-  soils  the  hands  of  those  engaged  in  bunch- 
ing the  -talks  for  market  :  anil  the  ('ISil>  are  some- 
time- laid  upon  the  stalks  in  such  number-  that 
the  latter  are  rendered  unsightly  and  even  slip- 
pery by  their  presence.  Larva',  as  well  as  beetle-. 
attack  the  tenderest  portions  of  the  plants,  but  the  beetles  gnaw  with 
seemingly  equal  relish  the  epidermis,  or  rind,  of  the  stem-.  The 
beetle-  are  also  accused  of  gnawing  young  shoots  beneath  the  surface, 
causing  them  to  become  woody  and  crooked  in  growth. 

In  some  localities  it  is  in  establishing  new  beds  that  the  greatest 
trouble  and  expense  are  incurred.  The  plants  must  grow  a  year  as 
seedlings  and  two  more  in  the  beds  before  being  cut  for  table  use,  and 
during  these  three  year-  they  are  constantly  exposed  to  the  attack-  of 
this  insect. 

The  beetle  is  a  beautiful  creature,  slender  and  graceful  in  form, 
blue-black  in  color,  with  red   thorax,   and   with   lemon-yellow   and 


Fig.  2. — Common  as- 
paragus beetle  I  Cri- 
oceris asparagi  i  :  ". 
Dark  form  of  bee- 
tle :  b,  light  form. 
Enlarged  (author's 
illustration). 


The  rapture  of  this  species  was  recorded  early  in  the  past  century  in  Penn- 
sylvania— presumably  near  Hanover — and  again  in  the  vicinity  of  Chicago  and 
Rock  Island.  III.,  about  ten  years  after  the  discovery  on  Long  Island:  but.  as  the 
insect  diil  not  obtain  a  permanent  foothold,  but  died  out  in  these  localities, 
these  importations  can  not  be  considered  introductions. 
[Cir.  102] 


dark-blue  wing  covers  having  :i  reddish  border.     A  c mon   form 

aboul  the  District  of  Columbia  is  illustrated  in  fig.  •"•.  a.  Farther 
north  the  prevailing  form  i-  darker,  the  lighter  coloring  3ometimee 
showing  onh  as  a  reddish  border  and  six  small  submarginal  yellow 
spots  (fig.  2,  \.n  extreme,  light  form  nol  uncommon  in  the  south 

(in  range  "i  the  insect  is  shown  (fig.  2,  6)  for  comparison.  The 
length  i-  ;i  trifle  less  than  one  fourth  inch. 

ii rsTom  "i  bpri  u>. 

From  tin-  -rciic  of  its  firsl  colonization  in  Queens  County,  the 
insecl  migrated  to  the  other  truck  growing  portions  of  Long  [sland. 
1 1  -i ><»ii  reached  southern  Connecticut,  and  has  no^  extended  it  -  range 
northward  through  that  State  and  Massachusetts  to  the  State  line  of 
N  ■•  Hampshire,  Southward  ii  has  traveled  through  NeM  Jersey, 
where  ii  was  firsl  noticed  in  ls,''S.  eastern  Pennsylvania,  Delaware, 
and  Maryland  to  southern  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 

It-  distribution  by  natural  means  has  been  mainly  by  the  flight  of 
the  beetles.  Undoubtedly,  also,  the  beetles  have  been  transported 
from  place  to  place  by  water,  both  up  and  down  stream  by  rising 
and  falling  tide,  as  the  fact  that  it  has  nol  until  recently  deviated  far 
from  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  seacoasl  and  of  large  water 
courses  near  the  coast  bears  abundant  testimony. 

Another  reason  for  the  prevalence  of  this  species  in  these  localities 
i-  that  asparagus  was  originally  a  maritime  plant  and  has  escaped 
from  cultivation  and  grown  most  luxuriantly  in  the  vicinity  of  bodies 
of  water.  It  is  well  known  thai  it  i-  usually  upon  wild  plant-  that 
these  insects  first  make  their  appearance  in  new  localities.  There  is 
evidence  also  that  their  disseminat  i < > 1 1  may  be  effected  by  what  I  >octor 
Howard  has  termed  a  "commercial  jump,"  either  by  commerce  in 
propagating  root-,  among  which  the  insects  may  be  present  either 
as  hibernating  beetles  or  as  pupa',  or  by  the  accidental  carriage  of 
the  hectic-  i>n  railmad  train-  or  boats. 

B)  some  such  artificial  mean-  the  asparagus  beetle  had  round  its 
way  to  northwestern  New  York,  between  Koine  and  Buffalo,  and  to 
Ohio,  between  Cleveland  and  the  Pennsylvania  State  line.  During 
1896  it-  course  was  trace. I  along  the  Hudson   River  above  Albany. 

[nquiry  concerning  the  Ohi icurrence  disclosed  the  fad   that   the 

plant-  in  one  locality  were  brought  from  New  York.  The  presence 
of  this  insecl  in  eastern  Massachusetts  at  about  the  same  time  was  in 
like  manner  probably  due  to  direct  shipments  of  root-  from  infested 
localities  to  Boston  and  vicinity. 

It  i-  noticeable  that  up  to  this  time  it-  inland  spread,  except  in  the 
neighborhood  of  water,  had  been  extremely  limited. 
[Or.  102] 


DISTRIB1   llnN    IN    L908. 

This  species  is  presenl  now  in  what  is  known  as  the  Upper  Austral 
life  zone,  although  in  certain  point-  in  New  England  it  has  Located 
in  what  is  considered  the  Transition  zone.  Its  course  up  the  Hudson 
River  lies  within  a  rather  narrow  strip  of  Upper  Austral.  In  all 
probability  it  is  destined  in  time  to  overspread  the  entire  Upper 
Austral  zone  and  to  make  its  way  to  some  extent  into  neighboring 
areas  in  which  it  may  find  conditions  for  its  continuance. 

Its  distribution  in  Massachusetts,  though  wide,  is  local.  In  New 
Hampshire  it  has  been  recorded  from  Nashua  and  Portsmouth.  It 
is  possible  that  in  a  few  years  it  may  be  able  to  encroach  slightly  upon 
the  bordering  States  of  Vermont,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Connecticut 
River  Valley,  and  Maine,  near  the  New  Hampshire  seaboard.  It  is 
well  established  in  Connecticut,  occurs  in  Rhode  Island,  and  is  gen- 
erally  distributed  through  New  Jersey.  Delaware,  and  Maryland, 
and  in  southeastern  Pennsylvania  near  the  Delaware  River.  It  was 
predicted  by  the  writer  that,  although  this  species  in  189G  was  still 
local  in  New  York  and  Ohio,  we  might  expect  within  a  few  years 
to  hear  of  its  invading  other  portions  of  those  States  lying  within 
the  Upper  Austral  zone:  Canada,  of  which  there  is  a  strip  of 
Upper  Austral  bordering  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Erie:  and. 
later,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Kentucky,  and  States  farther  west.  By 
l!S!)7  the  species  had  occupied  the  strip  bordering  the  southern  shore 
of  Lake  Erie,  being  recorded  from  nine  counties  of  eastern  Ohio. 
The  following  year  it  was  noticed  in  western  Virginia.  In  1898  it 
was  reported  from  Benton  Harbor.  Mich.,  where,  however,  it  had 
been  present  since  1896.  By  1899  it  had  appeared  in  Canada  in  the 
Niagara  River  region  and  was  accompanied  by  the  twelve-spotted 
species.  The  insect  obviously  received  more  or  Less  severe  setbacks  in 
succeeding  years,  but  by  1904  the  common  form  was  observed  about 
Toronto,  Canada,  and  about  4  miles  west  of  Chicago.  111.  It  has 
now  become  very  generally  distributed  in  the  asparagus-growing  sec- 
tions of  New  York  State,  having  reached  Glens  Falls,  its  northern- 
most recorded  limit  in  the  United  States.  In  Ohio  the  species  has 
been  established  near  Columbus  since  l(.Hi:'>.  and  near  Cincinnati  since 
1905.  but  has  not  been  reported  from  Kentucky  or  Indiana,  although 
it  has  probably  invaded  the  latter  State. 

In  1904  the  occurrence  of  this  insect  at  Bouldin  Island.  California, 
was  reported,  but  the  following  year  it  could  not  be  found.  Its  dis- 
appearance was  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  island  had  been  flooded. 
causing  the  death  of  the  pest.  In  1906,  however,  the  beetle  was 
reported  in  abundance  near  Oakley.  Cal. 

In  North  Carolina  the  species  is  well  established  in  the  east-central 
part,  including  portions  of  "Wake.  Wayne.  Warsaw,  and  Duplin  coun- 
[Cir.  102] 


ties.    The  species  has  also  been  reported  in  Wisconsin,  bul   nothing 
has  I'irii  learned  regarding  ii-  actual  distribution  in  thai  State. 


ii  m'.i  rs   \ \i>  i  ii  i    ii i-ii >m  . 

The  common  asparagus  beetle  passes  the  winter  in  the  adull  state 
under  convenient  shelter,  such  as  piles  of  rubbish,  sticks,  or  stones, 
or   under   the   loose   bark   of   trees   and    fence 
posts.     Toward  the  end  of  April  or  in   May, 
according  i"  locality,  al   about   the  season   for 


immon    as]  newly 

batched  i;  •.  pupa.     All  enlarged   (author's  Illustration). 

cutting  til*-  asparagus  for  market,  the  beetles  issue  from  their  hiber- 
nating quarters  and  lay  the  eggs  for  the  firsl  brood. 

The  egg  is  very  large  in  proportion  to  the  beetle,  being  nearly  a 
sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  of  the  elongate-oval  form  illus- 
trated ;ii  b  i  fig.  3).  1 1  is  nearly  three  times  as  long  ;i-  wide  and  of  a 
dark-brown  color.  The  eggs  are  deposited  endwise  upon  the  stem  or 
foliage  and  in  early  spring  on  the  developing 
(stalks,  usually  in  rows  of  •_'  to  7  or  more  i  fig.  t ). 

In  from  three  to  eight  day-  the  eggs  hatch, 
the  young  larva?,  commonly  called  "grubs"  or 
u  worms,"  presenting  the  appearance  indicated 
in  fig.  3,  - .  The  head  of  the  newly  hatched  larva 
is  large,  black,  and  bead-like;  its  body  is  gray; 
and  its  three  pair-  of  legs,  Marl,.  Ii  al  once  be- 
gins to  feed,  and  is  from  ten  day-  to  a  fortnight, 
according  to  Fitch  and  others,  in  attaining  full 
size.  When  full  grown  the  larva  appears  as  in 
fig.  3,  d.  Ii  is  soft  and  fleshy,  much  wrinkled, 
and  of  a  dark  grav  or  olive  color,  some!  imes  light, 

• 

Km  not  infrequently  very  dark.  The  head  is  shining  black,  as  are  also 
the  six  legs.  Each  segment  is  proi  ided  with  a  pair  of  foot-like  tuber- 
cles, which,  with  the  anal  proleg,  assist  it  in  crawling  and  in  clinging 

to  th«'  plant.     The  mature  larva  enter-  the  earth,  ami  here,  within  a 
little  rounded,  dirt -covered  COCOOn  which  it    form-,  the  pupa  -tate  i- 
Li'ir.    102] 


- 

-•  rial). 


assumed.  The  pupa  is  yellowish  in  color,  and  its  appearance  is  suffi- 
ciently shown  by  the  illustration  (fig.  '■'>.  e).  In  five  to  eight  or  more 
days  the  adult  beetle  is  produced,  which  in  due  time  issues  from  the 


ground. 


THE  LIFE  CYCLE. 


Of  the  duration  of  the  life  cycle  Fitch  has  remarked  that  it  is  about 
thirty  days  from  the  time  the  egg  is  laid  until  the  insect  grows  to 
maturity  and  comes  out  in  its  perfect  form,  but  that  the  time  will  be 
shorter  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  season  than  in  the  cooler  days  of 
May  and  June.    These  periods  are  for  Long  Island. 

During  a  hot  spell  in  midsummer  the  minimum  period  of  ovulation 
and  of  the  pupa  stage  was  observed  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Eggs  that 
were  laid  on  the  5th  of  A.UgUSt  hatched  on  the  8th,  or  in  three  days. 
A  larva  transformed  to  pupa  on  August  4  and  to  adult  August  9.  or 
in  five  days.  Allowing  ten  days  as  the  minimum  credited  period  of 
the  larval  stage,  a  day  or  two  for  the  larva  to  enter  the  ground  and 
form  its  cocoon,  and  two  or  three  days  more  for  the  beetle  to  mature 
and  leave  the  earth,  the  insect  i-  again  ready  to  attack  it-  food  plant 
and  to  continue  the  reproduction  of  its  kind  in  about  three  weeks 
from  the  time  that  the  egg  is  laid. 

This  may  be  fairly  taken  to  represent  the  minimum  midsummer 
life-cycle  period  of  the  species  in  the  District  of  Columbia  and  south- 
ward. In  the  colder  climate  of  Xew  England,  ami  elsewhere  in  spring 
and  autumn  weather,  the  development  from  cg<x  to  beetle  will  require 
from  four  to  perhaps  -even  week-.  The  hibernating  beetles  appear 
in  the  latitude  of  the  District  of  Columbia  as  early  as  April,  and 
beetles  of  a  later  brood  have  been  observed  in  abundance  in  October 
as  far  north  as  northern  Connecticut.  In  its  northern  range  two  and 
perhaps  three  broods  are  usually  produced,  and  farther  south  there 
is  a  possibility  of  four  or  five  generations  each  year. 

NATURAL    CHECKS. 

The  common  asparagus  beetle  has  very  efficient  natural  checks  in 
the  shape  of  predaceous  insects  of  many  kinds,  which  prey  upon  it> 
larva'  and  assist  very  materially  in  preventing  its  increase.  One  of 
the  most  efficient  of  these  is  the  spotted  ladybird,  Megitta  n>(t<i<Litn 
DeG.  The  beetle  is  rose-colored,  with  numerous  black  spots.  The 
convergent  ladybird  (Hippodamia  convergent  Guer.),  the  spined 
soldier-bug  (Podisus  niacidiventris  Say),  and  the  bordered  sol- 
dier-bug (Stiretrus  anchorago  Fab.,  fig.  5)  are  also  active  de- 
stroyers of  asparagus  beetle  larvae,  which  they  attack  and  kill  by 
impaling  them  upon  their  long  proboscides  and  .-licking  out  their 
juices.  Certain  specie-  of  wasps  and  .-mall  dragon-flies  also  prey 
upon   the   asparagus  beetle  grubs.     Two  of  the  most   abundant   of 

[fir.    102] 


these  are  Foliates  pallipes  Lep.  and  Ischnura  (Xehalennia)  posita 
Hagen.  These  insects  hover  about  the  infested  plants  until  a  larva 
is  descried,  when  the}   pounce  upon  it  and  carry  it  away. 

Asparagus  beetles  are  ver}  susceptible  to  sudden  changes  of  tern- 
perat  ure,  and  it  has  been  frequently  noticed  b)  Mr.  C.  W.  Prescott,  of 
Concord,  Ma--.,  thai  immense  numbers  of  the  hibernating  beetles  are 
killed  in  winter  during  severely  cold  spells  following  "  open  ■"  weather, 
millions  of  their  dead  bodies  being  sometimes  found  under  bark  and 
in  other  hiding  places. 

The  intense  heat  that  prei  ailed  al  times  during  the  summer  of  189G, 
especially  during  the  first  two  week-  of  August,  though  conducive  to 

the  undue  propagation  of  some  forms  of  insects,  had  tl pposite 

effect  upon  certain  species  that  Iced  in  the  larval  condition  freely  ex 
posed  upon  the  plants.     In  the  vicinity  of  the  District  of  Columbia 
this  was  particularly  not  iceable  in  the  case  of  the  larva?  of  this  aspara 


Ni    IS 


I-,,,    5      Bordered   BoldJi  Uirctrui  anchorago)  :  a,  Adull   bug;   '<.  last   si 

of  nymph.     BoUi  enlarged    lanthor's  II  lustra  I 

gus  hectic.  It-  eggs  also  seemed  to  be  'hied  up  by  the  heat.  What 
with  the  decimation  caused  by  their  natural  enemies  and  the  heat. 
scarcely  a  beetle  or  larva  was  to  be  found  that  year  after  the  last  of 
August. 

KEHEDIl  S. 

Fortunately,  the  common  asparagus  beetle  is  not  difficult  of  control, 
and  ordinarily  may  be  held  in  restraint  by  the  simplest  mean-. 

Hand-picking  i-  of  value  in  small  beds  but  must  of  necessity  give 
way  to  more  approved  methods  for  the  vast  numbers  of  the  beetles 
that  concentrate  their  forces  upon  the  large  area-  devoted  to  this 
crop  in  the  suburbs  of  our  large  cities. 

Chickens  and  ducks  arc  efficient  destroyers  of  asparagus  beetles, 
and  as  they  do  no  injury  to  the  plant  their  services  are  -till  in  requi- 
sition for  this  purpose  at  the  present  day. 

ICir.    102] 


8 

Cultural  practices. — A  practice  in  high  favor  among  prominent 
asparagus  growers  is  to  cut  down  all  plants,  including  seedlings  and 

volunteer  growth,  in  early  spring,  so  as  to  force  the  parent  beetle-  to 
deposit  their  eggs  upon  new  -hoots,  which  are  then  cut  every  few  days 
before  the  egg-  have  time  to  hatch  for  the  first  new  brood. 

Other  measures  that  have  been  employed  with  advantage  consist  in 
cutting  down  the  seed  Mcnis  after  the  crop  has  been  harvested,  and 
again  once  or  twice  during  the  cutting  season,  or  in  permitting  a  por- 
tion of  the  shoots  to  grow  and  serve  a-  lure-  for  the  beetles.  Here 
these  may  be  killed  with  insecticides,  or  the  plants,  after  they  become 
covered  with  egg-,  may  be  cut  down  and  burned,  and  other  shoots 
allowed  to  grow  up  as  decoys.  The  trap  plant-  should  be  destroyed 
a-  often  a-  once  a  week. 

With  conceited  action  on  the  part  of  growers  in  following  out  any 
of  these  last  methods  the  in-ects  may  be  held  in  check,  at  lea-t  in 
a  region  where  asparagus  doe-  not  grow  wild  in  too  great  profusion. 
Where  this  is  not  practicable,  insecticide-  must  be  brought  into  serv- 
ice. It  is  well  in  any  case  to  employ  insecticide-  after  the  cutting 
season,  since  if  the  insects  are  destroyed  at  this  time  their  number- 
will  be  lessened  for  the  next  year. 

Lime. — One  of  the  best  remedies  against  the  larva'  i-  fresh,  air- 
slaked  lime,  dusted  on  the  plants  in  the  early  morning  while  the  dew 
is  on.  It  quickly  destroys  all  the  grub-  with  which  it  come-  in 
contact. 

Pyrethrum  i-  credited  with  being  useful,  and  a  mixture  of  -oft 
soap,  quassia  decoction,  and  water  (about  equal  parts  of  the  first  two 
to  .")  of  the  la-t  named)  is  effective  against  the  larvae;  but  these 
remedies  hardly  commend  themselves  for  extensive  use. 

Arsenicals. — The  arsenicals,  applied  dry  mixed  with  Hour,  a-  for 
potato  beetles,  answer  well:  they  possess  the  advantage  of  destroying 
beetles  as  well  a-  grub-,  and  are  of  value  upon  plant-  that  are  not 
being  cut  for  food.  Some  use  a  mixture  of  Pari-  green  and  air- 
slaked  lime,  or  plaster.  *2  pounds  of  the  former  to  a  barrel  of  the 
latter.  To  produce  satisfactory  results  the  lime  or  arsenical  must 
be  applied  at  frequent  intervals,  or  as  often  as  the  larva-  reappear 
on  the  beds. 

Arsenate  of  lead  has  given  excellent  results.  This  insecticide  has 
come  into  very  general  use  in  recent  years  for  the  control  of  leaf-feed 
ing  beetles,  such  as  the  potato  beetles  and  asparagus  beetles.  In  Con- 
necticut Dr.  W.  E.  Britton  tested  it  on  asparagus,  spraying  the  plants 
from  all  four  sides  in  succession  because  of  the  slight  leaf  exposure 
a-  compared  with  most  other  forms  of  plants.  Good  results  followed. 
The  same  amount  of  benefit  should  be  accomplished  with  scarcely 
greater  expense  by  spraying  from  opposite  sides  and  repeating  this 

[Cir.    102] 


before  the  beetles  of  the  last  generation  develop  or  mi  least  in  time 
in  destroy   them  before  thej   get   into  winter  quarters.     In   Pennsyl 
vania  Prof.  II.  A.  Surface  n ia •  l<-  :i  comparative  test  "I  tin-  value  of 

Paris  green  and  arsenate  <>i   lead,  learning  that   nol   re  than  ■•" 

per  cent  of  tin'  insects  were  killed  when  Paris  green  and  lime  were 
used,  while  90  per  cent  were  killed  with  arsenate  of  lead.  In  a  third 
experiment,  in  winch  resin  — « »: » | »  \\:i-  added  to  make  the  latter  in 
cide  adhere  more  » l< >-••  1  \  ti>  the  plants,  all  of  the  insects  were  killed  <»ii 
50  plant-  treated.  In  tin-  case  the  arsenate  <>!'  lead  was  used  at  the 
rate  of  1  pound  to  _l  gallons  of  water,  ami  2j  pounds  of  resin  soap 
was  added  t"  render  the  mixture  more  adhesive. 

In  the  North,  where  these  experiments  were  made,  they  were  begun 
the  first  <>f  June.  Arsenate  of  lead  has  been  used  with  satisfactory 
results  "ii  asparagus  at  the  rate  of  l  pound  in  IC  gallons  of  water, 
Inn  some  additional  experiments  arc  necessary  i<>  ascertain  the  exact 
amount  of  the  poison  thai  can  In-  used  economically  to  produce  the 
required  result.  In  ordinary  weather  a  second  spraying  of  arsenate 
of  lead  with  a  resin  soap  added  i-  desirable,  especially  if  rainfall 
intervenes. 

Moic  specific  information  in  regard  to  the  method  of  preparing 
and  applying  arsenate  of  lead  i-  given  in  Circular  No.  s~.  winch  maj 
be  obtained  gratis  on  application. 

Everything  considered,  injury  by  tin-  species  is  most  noticeable 
when  the  beetles  are  working  on  the  asparagus  tips  at  the  time  they 

ate  being  cut  for  f 1  or  market,  a-  more  fully  described  on  paj 

It  i-.  of  course,  impossible  t<>  apply  arsenicals  to  the  edible  product 
owing  to  the  danger  of  poisoning  human  beings.  About  all  that  can 
he  done  ai  this  time  i-  to  cut  a-  frequently  a-  possible,  but  after  the 
cutting  season  is  over  the  arsenicals  may  be  freely  used  in  accordance 
with  the  direction-  already  given. 

The  brushing  method.  A  simple  ami  inexpensive  method  of  kill- 
ing the  larva'  in  hot  weather  i-  to  heat  or  brush  them  from  the  plants 
with  a  -tick  so  that  they  will  drop  to  the  hare  ground..  The  larvae 
are  delicate  creature-,  and.  a-  they  crawl  \er\  -lowly.  |V\\  arc  able 
to  regain  shelter  of  the  plants,  bul  die  when  exposed  to  the  heated 
earth.      The  same  method   is  in  use  against   the  pea  aphis. 

THE   TWELVE-SPOTTED    ASPARAGUS    BEETLE. 
[Crioceris  duodceim punctata  L.) 

A  rarer,  and  consequently  less  injurious  species  than  the  pre- 
ceding i-  the  twelve-spotted  asparagus  hectic.  It  i-  generally  dis- 
tributed  in  Europe,  where  it  i-  apparently  native  and.  although 
common,  not  especially  destructive.  Like  the  preceding,  it  lives  ex- 
clusively on  asparagus,  and  the  chief  damage  it  doe-  i-  due  to  the 
[Cir.  102] 


10 

depredations  of  the  hibernated  beetles  in  early  spring  upon  the  young 
and  edible  asparagus  shoots.  Later  generations  attack  the  foliage, 
living,  for  at  least  a  considerable  portion  of  the  larval  stage,  within 
the  ripening  berries. 

•       INTRODl  CTION    AM)   SPREAD    IN    THE   UNITED   STATES. 

The  presence  of  this  bisect  in  America,  as  lias  been  stated,  was  first 

discovered  in  1881.  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Baltimore,  Md.  This 
beetle  was  noticed  in  considerable  numbers  from  the  first,  showing 
that  it  had  probably  been  introduced  several  years  earlier.  At  that 
time  it  was  quite  local,  occurring-  only  at  the  mouth  of  the  Furnace 
Branch  of  the  Patapsco  River  at  a  point  a  few  miles  south  of  Balti- 
more. It  was  then  seen  only  on  volunteer  asparagus  growing  on  the 
salty  margin  of  this  river,  although  beds  of  cultivated  asparagus  were 
plentiful  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Two  years  later  it  had  proved 
even  more  troublesome  than  the  common  asparagus  beetle. 

Assuming  Baltimore  to  have  been  the  original  center  of  distribu- 
tion, the  twelve-spotted  asparagus  beetle  has  been  traced  southward 
through  Anne  Arundel  and  Prince  George  counties  to  the  District  of 
Columbia,  where  it  was  detected  live  years  from  the  time  of  it-  first 
discovery. 

In  1892  it  was  reported  to  have  appeared  in  considerable  numbers 
on  asparagus  stalk-  that  had  been  cut  down  upon  a  farm  in  Carroll 
County.  Md.  The  same  year  its  appearance  was  announced  in  Glou- 
cester County,  in  southern  New  Jersey,  and  the  following  year  in 
Cumberland  and  Camden  counties  of  the  same  State.  To  have 
reached  these  points  the  insect,  obviously,  had  traversed  the  inter- 
vening territory  in  Maryland,  the  northern  half  of  Delaware,  and 
Salem  County.  X.  J.  It  was  also  found  to  have  reached  Virginia, 
near  Washington.  In  189-1  it  had  extended  northward  to  Burlington 
County.  X.  J.,  and  westward  to  Philadelphia  County,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  same  year  it  was  detected  in  Queen  Anne  County.  Md.. 
and  near  Rochester,  X.  Y.  Two  years  later  it  established  it -elf  in 
Charles  County.  Md..  and  had  penetrated  as  far  south  in  Virginia 
a-  Westmoreland  County. 

In  May.  1896,  a  serious  invasion  was  reported  in  Prince  George 
County.  Md..  where  the  beetles  attacked  the  young  shoots,  gnawing 
ell  the  heads  as  soon  as  they  showed  above  ground,  thus  entirely  unfit- 
ting the  crop  for  market. 

Nearly  every  year  since,  it  has  been  reported  in  new  localities  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada  until  now  it  is  well  distributed  westward 
and  northward.  In  1898  it  had  become  generally  distributed  in  New 
•Jersey  "  south  of  the  shale  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Delaware." 
Next  year  it  was  recorded  in  twelve  counties  in  New  York  as  far  west 
[Clr.   102] 


II 


.i-  Buffalo  and  in  the  following  years  generally  throng] t  N'\\  York 

State,  as  also  in  the  Niagara  district  in  Canada. 
An  interesting  fact  in  the  occurrence  of  the  asparagus  beetles  in  the 
ira  peninsula  was  that  the  two  species  arrived  almost  simulta- 
neously and  that  the  twelve-spotted  form  was  the  dominant  one.    By 
1902  the  latter  had   ap 
peared     in    Connecticut, 
ii  Ni'u   I ln\ en,  ami  later 
in  oilier  port  inn-  uf  i  hat 
State,  \    rill    /  h       ^ 


4 


hi  S<  RIP]  ION  .        1 .11  I         lll<- 

roai .  wi>  ii  \ ui  rs. 

The  mature  beetle  ri- 
vals the  common  species 
in  beauty,  Init  iiki\  be 
distinguished  by  it- 
much  broader  elytra  and    i''<    8     rweive-spotti 

1        ,|    ,.       |.'.    .1         tluodt  larva 


orange  -red    color. 


■  in  of  larva 


d 

ond 


o,  ''.   Knl. i 


Author's  illu-i- 


vring  cover  is  marked 
with  six  black  dots,  and 
the  knees  and  a  portion  of  iln1  under  surface  of  the  thorax  are  also 
marked  with  black  (fig.  6,  a).  The  beetle,  as  ii  occurs  on  the  plant 
when  in  fruit,  very  closely  resembles  at  a  little  distance  the  ripening 
asparagus  berry. 
The  common  asparagus  beetle,  as  is  well  known,  dodges  around  a 
stem  like  a  squirrel  when  disturbed,  but  the  twelve- 
spotted  form  appears  to  trust  to  ili:_rlit.  taking 
wing  more  readily.  Both  species  make  a  loud 
creaking  sound  when  handled,  by  what  is  called 
stridulation,  produced  in  the  present  species  by 
rubbing  the  tip  of  the  abdomen  against  the  elytra. 
The  full-grown  larva  i-  shown  at  b  (fig.  6).  It 
measures,  when  extended,  three-tenths  of  an  inch 
is  nun.  i.  being  of  aboul  the  same  proportions  as 
the  larva  of  the  common  species,  but  is  readily 
separable  by  it-  orange  color.  The  ground  color 
is  lii_rht  yellowish  cream  with  an  overlap  of  ochra- 
ceous  orange  which  is  most  pronounced  on  the  ex- 
terior portion-  of  the  abdominal  segments.  The 
head,  with  the  exception  of  the  mouth-part's,  is  also  ochraceous, 
the  thoracic  plate  is  prominent,  divided  into  two  parts,  and  is  of  a 
dark-brown  color.  Enlarged  figures  of  the  second  abdominal  seg- 
ment of  both  species  are  presented  at  <  and  d  (fig.  6)  for  comparison. 

[Cir.   102] 


I'll-..  7 

mpunctaia.  Egg, 
on   as 
ignt     leavi 
risiit :      same,      en- 

-  .1.  at  loft.     iAu- 

-  -  Illustration,  i 


12 


In  Europe,  where  this  species  is  native,  it  is  common,  but  not 
especially  destructive* 

The  chief  damage  is  from  the  work  of  the  hibernated  beetles  in 
early  spring  upon  the  young  and  edible  asparagus  shoots.  Later 
beetles  as  well  as  larvae  appear  to  feed  exclusively  on  the  berries. 
The  eggs  are  deposited  singly,  and  apparently  by  preference,  upon 
old  plants, toward  the  end-  of  shoots,  which,  lower  down,  bear  ripen- 
ing berries,  and  they  are  attached  along  their  sides  I  fig.  7),  instead  of 
at  one  end  as  with  the  common  species.  Soon  after  the  larva  hatches 
it  finds  its  way  to  an  asparagus  berry,  enters  it.  ami  feeds  upon  the 
pulp.  In  due  time  it  leaves  this  first  berry  for  another  one.  and 
when  full  growth  is  attained  it  deserts  its  last  larval  habitation  and 
enter-  the  earth,  where  it  transforms  to  pupa  and  afterwards  to  the 
beetle.  The  life  cycle  does  not  differ  materially  from  that  of  the 
common  species,  and  there  is  probably  the  same  number  of  genera- 
tions developed,  or  nearly  as  many. 


REMEDIES. 


The  remedies  are  those  indicated  for  the  common  asparagus  beetle, 
with  the  possible  exception  of  caustic  lime  and  <ome  other  measures 
that  are  directed  solely  against  the  larvae  of  that  specie-,  hut  the 
habit  of  the  larva  of  living  within  the  berry  places  it  for  that  period 
beyond  the  reach  of  insecticides.  The  collection  and  destruction  of 
the  asparagus  berries  before  ripening  might  be  a  solution  of  the 
problem,  but  it  is  questionable  if  recourse  to  this  measure  would 
necessary,  save  in  case  of  an  exceptional  abundance  of  the  insect. 


Approved  : 

James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  15,  1908. 

[Cir.   102] 

o 


DOCUMENI 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3    1262    05252    3320 


